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One of the longest-serving Ride+ Stride organisers in Sussex is finally passing on the baton after helping to raise funds for St Mary's Storrington and the Sussex Historic Churches Trust for over 20 years. Sheila Ward has been a driving force in helping St Mary's and its legion of sponsored Ride + Stride participants to raise funds for the ancient church. In the last five years alone, St Mary's Ride + Stride participants have raised more than £4,500. St Mary's dates back well over 1,000 years and was recorded in the Domesday Book. During the church service on Sunday (August 23), the congregation gave thanks to Sheila for her years of hard work and prayed for her colleague Robin Lenarth who will be looking after the Ride + Stride event going forward. Ride + Stride is an annual event that that raises more than £1.5 million for churches right across the UK. This year's event is taking place on Saturday, September 12. Ride + Stride is a lot of fun, giving everyone the chance to explore some of Sussex's unique historic buildings while also raising vital funds. The event is open to all - you don't need to be a churchgoer or affiliated with any particular place of worship. Trust chairman Chris Whittick said: "On behalf of the Trustees, I'd like to thank Sheila most sincerely for her devoted attention to Ride + Stride over more than two decades, and to welcome Robin to the role. We realise that the success of Ride and Stride depends entirely on scores of people such as Sheila and Robin across the whole of Sussex, and reassure them all that their efforts are noticed and their dedication acknowledged by us all." About Ride + Stride Ride + Stride is by far the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Trust and plays a vital role in enabling the Trust to award grants to churches throughout East and West Sussex. All money raised during Ride + Stride is split 50:50 between the church chosen by each participant and the Sussex Historic Churches Trust. For more information on how you can take part and support your local church by getting sponsored on September 12, please see our Ride + Stride page.a great practical way to raise money for Sussex Historic Churches Trust.

We are delighted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Sussex Historic Churches Trust. During that time, hundreds of thousands of pounds have been awarded in grants to more than 500 churches and places of worship across East and West Sussex. St Peter's, Brighton How we started By the middle of the 20th century, many historic parish churches right across the UK were in a very poor state of repair. This was the result of many social and economic factors but was exacerbated by the Second World War, during which repair and maintenance of churches largely came to a standstill. Matters came to a head in 1950 with public statements, including an editorial in The Times. The Church of England's Church Assembly (now the General Synod of the Church of England) established the Repair of Churches Commission to decide what should and could be done. The Commission determined that an urgent funding requirement of £4,000,000 was needed to bring dilapidated historic parish buildings back to a sound condition. In 1953, a national body was set up to oversee the process – known at the time as the Historic Churches Preservation Trust and now called the National Churches Trust. The national authority set out to give grants for essential repairs and restoration of places of worship of architectural and historic interest throughout the country. It soon gave rise to numerous regional Trusts: one of the first to be established, in 1956, was the Sussex Historic Churches Trust. Our aims Our primary aims remain the same as they were in 1956 - to help preserve the churches and chapels of historic and architectural interest, which are in use for worship, throughout Sussex. In this context, 'historic' means buildings which are at least 100 years old and we offer help through grants for specific repairs to the fabric of the building. Raising money to fund repairs All the funds held by the Sussex Historic Churches Trust are derived from donations, bequests, investments and the annual sponsored Ride + Stride event. This is coming up soon on September 12 and will involve hundreds of fundraisers getting sponsored to cycle, walk or even drive to visit as many different churches as possible. Ride + Stride is a great way to see some of the wonderful historic buildings in Sussex and raise much-needed funds on a fun day out. Check out our story about Midhurst vicar Marcus Collie who is embarking on an epic pilgrimage starting on Monday, August 24th in Rye and ending at Chichester Cathedral. Riding his Suzuki motorbike, Marcus plans to pray at 100+ churches over five days to raise money for the Sussex Historic Churches Trust. Donations come from individuals, societies and some parishes. If you are not already contributing in this way, please consider doing so. Every contribution will expand the help the Trust can give. How Grants are Awarded All faiths, denominations and groups are welcome to submit a grant application via our website. Our Trustees meet twice a year to consider the applications. The next Trust meeting is on 18 September and the application deadline is September 4. The Trust favours making a significant number of relatively small grants contributing towards specific projects rather than a few large grants. The current policy is to confine grants to works of essential repair to the fabric of church buildings. Priority is given to buildings over 100 years old and emphasis is given to maintaining the structure of the building and ensuring it is wind and waterproof. So far this year, a total of £40,000 has been awarded, including our largest grant to date - £24,000 to St Mary’s in Binstead. Among those places of worship which have received awards over the years are Chichester Cathedral, St Paul’s in Brighton, St Mary’s in Pulborough and All Saints in Hastings.

This year’s Ride + Stride event on September 12 coincides fortuitously with the national Heritage Open Day event which sees thousands of buildings across the country open their doors to the public free of charge. Among those churches which are “doubling down” on September 12 by celebrating both Heritage Open Day and Ride + Stride are: · Hastings All Saints · Patcham All Saints · Brighton St Barthlomew · Hastings St Clements · Sompting St Mary · Eastbourne St Mary the Virgin · Newtimber St John the Evangelist Sussex Heritage Open Day links For a full list of all the properties that will be open during the national Heritage Open Day celebrations, please see the following links: East Sussex | West Sussex. St John the Evangelist, Newtimber St John the Evangelist is once again hosting a very special event on Ride + Stride day. Starting at 12.15pm on September 12, the event will celebrate the culture and customs of the unheard voices who contributed to the expansion of the British Empire. The event will feature song, food, story telling and dance with a performance by Saidi Kanda, the award-winning Tanzanian multi-instrumentalist and lunch available from Soul Food Sisters from 1pm. One of the stories that will be told during the event is that of Thomas Highflyer, an eight-year-old boy who was rescued from an East African slave dhow in 1866. Thomas came to live in Brighton where he was cherished and cared for until his untimely death from tuberculosis at age 12. Full details for the St John the Evangelist event are here. St Mary’s, Sompting An exciting re-enactment event is planned at St Mary’s Sompting with Haestingas Regias re-enactors showing what working life was like in Mediæval times. On both September 12 and 13, the Haestingas will be transporting Sompting Church back to the year 1000. The interior of the church will be awash with ecclesiastical activity, with manuscripts being illustrated and reliquaries produced. Outside, there will be numerous stalls displaying crafts and producing food. Tours will run between 10am and 4pm; you can pre-book by emailing friends@stmarysompting.org.uk or calling 07399 231204. Full details here. St Mary the Virgin, Eastbourne The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin is a wonderful 12th-century building in the heart of Eastbourne's Old Town. The attached Old Parsonage dates from the Tudor Period. The church will be open to the public from 9am to 4pm on September 12. Guided tours will run at 11.30am at 2.30pm and local historians will be on hand to assist visitors. Full details here. St Bartholomew, Brighton St Bartholomew’s, Brighton, is one of the great churches of the 19th-century - the cathedral of what used to be called the 'London-Brighton and South Coast Religion' with its incense, ritual, embroidered vestments and lights. The church will be open from 10am to 4pm on September 12. Full details are here. All Saints, Patcham All Saints has a history dating back to Saxon times - possibly as early as the 700s. All Saints was listed as Grade 2* in 1952 and is the Parish Church of Patcham. In the nave of the church and positioned over the chancel arch is a rare 13th-century Last Judgement or Doom Painting, whitewashed over at the time of the purges of the Reformation then rediscovered during renovations in 1880-1883. The church plans activities all day on September 12 including a talk by local historian Sue Taylor at 11am, refreshments/soup lunch from 12.30pm-2pm and Coastline Harmony singing a cappella at 3pm. Full details are here. All Saints, Hastings All Saints was built for the fishing community of Hastings in the 1400s. It has a medieval 'Doom' painting above the Nave and also an original Father Willis Organ. Open from 11am to 4pm on September 12. See here for details. Celebrating Heritage Open Day on other dates St Mary de Haura - parish church of New Shoreham The Grade 1 listed church of St Mary de Haura is an architectural gem and the largest church between Brighton and Worthing. The tour takes place on various days (September 11,17,18 and 19) and will take in the church’s Romanesque and transitional Gothic architecture, mediaeval graffiti, two Kempe stained-glass windows and a war memorial which honours the only RAF fighter pilot awarded the Victoria Cross in the Second World War. More info on the Heritage Open Day website. All Saints, Hove A tour of this magnificent Grade 1 listed parish church is taking place on September 16. Built in the late 19th-century in a Gothic revival style, the building was designed by the great Victorian architect John Loughborough Pearson, who was also the architect of Truro Cathedral. Full details here. Ride + Stride Ride + Stride is an annual event that that raises more than £1.5 million for churches right across the UK. At the Sussex Historic Churches Trust, it is by far our biggest fundraiser of the year and plays a vital role in enabling the Trust to help churches throughout East and West Sussex. For more information on how you can take part and support your local church by getting sponsored on September 12, please see our Ride + Stride page. Heritage Open Days The Heritage Open Days initiative, England’s largest festival of history and culture, is running September 12-21. There are scores of places to visit and activities to enjoy. Click the following links to find out what's on locally: East Sussex | West Sussex.

Ride + Stride: church details << Back The church is holding a memorial service at 2.30 pm and will be closed from 2.15 pm until 4 pm St James Open but not manned off Mill Lane Midhurst GU29 0DL http://www.underthedowns.co.uk < Previous Next >

Click here for other areas Arundel & Bognor Chichester Midhurst Petworth Westbourne Brighton Cuckfield Crawley & East Grinstead Horsham Hove Hurst & Burgess Hill Storrington Worthing Battle & Bexhill Dallington Eastbourne Hastings Lewes Rotherfield Rye Seaford Uckfield Click here for google map or scroll to bottom of page Bepton St Mary Open/closed status: This church is open off Bugshill Lane GU29 0HX No manning between 1pm and 2pm https://www.underthedowns.co.uk/st-mary Chithurst St Mary Open/closed status: This church is open but not manned Chithurst Lane GU31 5EU Cocking St Catherine Open/closed status: This church is open Hoyle Lane GU29 0HN Didling St Andrew Open/closed status: Open but not manned off Bugshill Lane GU29 0LG The church will be open but probably not manned http://www.didling.org.uk/ Easebourne Mission Church Open/closed status: This church is closed Park Way, N of A272 GU29 0AW Easebourne St Mary Open/closed status: Open but not manned A272 The Priory GU29 0AJ Please note that there will be a wedding in the church during the day so the sign in desk will be located in the church bell tower and will be sign posted. https://www.thepriorychurches.co.uk/ Elsted St Paul Open/closed status: Open but not manned off Elsted Road GU29 0JY The church will be open but probably not manned http://www.elsted.org.uk/ Fernhurst Shulbrede Priory Open/closed status: This church is open approx 3/4 mile N of Vann Road GU27 3NQ Shulbrede Priory a former Augustinian Priory ,disolved at the Reformation and now a private house. Mr and Mrs Russell who live there are happy to be present to sign people in. Fernhurst St Margaret Open/closed status: This church is open Church Road GU27 3HY Manned some of the time https://www.flcchurches.org.uk/welcome.htm Fernhurst Stone Chapel Open/closed status: This church is closed Vann Road Heyshott St James Open/closed status: Open but not manned off Mill Lane GU29 0DL The church is holding a memorial service at 2.30 pm and will be closed from 2.15 pm until 4 pm http://www.underthedowns.co.uk Iping St Mary Open/closed status: This church is open but not manned Iping Lane GU29 0PF beneficeoflinchmillandstedham.co.uk Iping Marsh Iping Marsh Churchyard Open/closed status: This church is closed GU29 0PF https://sussexparishchurches.org/church/iping-marsh-good-shepherd/ Linch St Luke Open/closed status: This church is open but not manned Linch Road, Woodmansgreen GU30 7NF Lynchmere St Peter Open/closed status: This church is open but not manned off Liphook Road GU27 3NG http://stpandp.co.uk/ Midhurst Wheatsheaf Pub Open/closed status: This church is open but not manned Rumbolds Hill GU29 9BX Midhurst Ebenezer Chapel Open/closed status: This church is closed Bepton Road GU29 9HD Midhurst Masonic Hall Open/closed status: This church is closed Bepton Road GU29 9HD Midhurst Methodist Church Open/closed status: Closed North Street GU29 9DU http://www.midhurst.net/chars1/methodist/midsmethodist1.htm Midhurst St Mary and St Francis Open/closed status: This church is open but not manned Bepton Road GU29 9HD Midhurst St Mary Magdalene and St Denys Open/closed status: This church is open Church Hill GU29 9QE Midhurst Ruined Chapel Open/closed status: This church is closed Saint Ann's Hill Milland St Luke Open/closed status: This church is open but not manned B2070 Portsmouth Road GU30 7JL http://www.stlukesmilland.org/ Milland Tuxlith Chapel Open/closed status: This church is open but not manned B2070 Portsmouth Road GU30 7JL Rogate St Bartholomew Open/closed status: This church is open A272 East Street/Habin Hill GU31 5HE South Harting St Mary and St Gabriel Open/closed status: Open but not manned B2141 The Street/Cow Lane GU31 The church will probably not be manned but please feel free to use the toilet and kitchen http://www.harting.org.uk/ South Harting Congregational Church Open/closed status: This church is open B2146 Petersfield Road GU31 5QA South Harting Shaxson Hall Open/closed status: This church is closed Elsted Road GU31 Stedham St James Open/closed status: Open and manned Mill Lane GU29 0PS beneficeoflinchmillandstedham.co.uk/ Terwick St Peter Open/closed status: This church is open but not manned off A272 GU31 5EQ Treyford Churchyard Open/closed status: This church is closed Midway Elsted-Treyford Trotton St George Open/closed status: This church is open but not manned A272 GU31 5EN Unfortunately we cannot man the church today, because it coincides with the Church Fete, at Trotton Place nearby. West Lavington St Mary Magdalene Open/closed status: This church is closed Church Road Locked for safety reasons https://sussexparishchurches.org/church/west-lavington-st-mary-magdalene/ Woolbeding All Hallows Open/closed status: This church is open Woolbeding Lane GU29 9RR http://www.allhallowswoolbeding.com Midhurst map1

Search function for the Sussex Historic Churches Trust website No church found Next Bognor Regis Methodist Church 76 High St Next Bognor Regis PO21 1ST St Michael the Archangel Penhurst Lane Next Penhurst TN33 9QP Next St Laurence 51 Sea Place Next Goring-by-Sea Bn12 4BY Our Lady of England School Lane Next Storrington RH20 4LN Next Fitzalan Chapel (via St Nicholas) Next Arundel BN18 9AT St Thomas a Becket Church Approach Next Framfield TN22 5NS St Mark A272 Next Hadlow Down TN22 4HH Holy Trinity Chillies Lane Next High Hurstwood TN22 4AD St Margaret of Antioch Church Lane Next Isfield TN22 5XR St Michael and All Angels off A26 Next Little Horsted (Horsted Parva) TN22 5TS St Bartholomew Batts Bridge Road / High Street Next Maresfield TN22 2HQ St Mary Church Road Next Newick BN8 4JZ St James the Less High Street Next Nutley TN22 3NA Holy Cross Belmont Road Next Uckfield TN22 1BP Our Lady Immaculate and St Peter Neri 10 Westmoreland Ct Next Uckfield (Newtown) TN22 5DJ URC Church High Street Next Uckfield (Newtown) TN22 5AE St Mark B2165 Next Staplecross TN32 5PZ